U.S. Coin Types: Half Cent to Double Eagle

Click any of the U.S. Coin Types listed below.
Everything from the Half Cent to Double Eagle is covered. Once a
selection is
made, you'll zoom off to a dedicated page where you'll read about
the coin's provenance and historical legacy, complemented by beautiful
photos and images from long ago. Each
coin type chapter has a key date summary and recommendations.

What is meant by "key date" coin? Here is one definition: It is a coin
of relative scarcity popularly sought by coin collectors. There is
limited supply to meet demand, driving prices higher over time,
compared to its more common counterparts.

Let’s dig into this a little deeper. If a
collector
seeks to acquire coins destined to rise substantially in value over
time, there are really just a few coins worthy of consideration.

It’s easy to find an online U.S. coin auction where thousands of old
coins
are for sale at any moment, but only a tiny handful of them are likely
to reward their
owners with strong price advancements in the years ahead, based on
numismatic integrity.

Before we get too carried away with our discussion of key dates and
rising prices, let's
get the links to the various U.S. coin types pages out on the table
first. Click any of these links directly below to view specific coin
type pages. If
you're ready to resume our discussion about key dates, scroll down a
bit or click here.

Types marked with an asterisk (*)
indicates that
we also have in depth Coin
Value Tablesposted
elsewhere on this site for your viewing. There is no charge
to access the data tables.

The tables track U.S. coin prices over
long time periods and are a
useful tool for collectors seeking to identify coins possessing good
potential for solid future growth, based on past performance, while
avoiding those with
questionable expectations. In other words, the tables help identify...
you guessed it... key
date coins.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with assembling a
collection while ignoring
potential financial returns; in fact, it can be argued this approach
embodies the pure essence of the coin hobby. However, numismatic
ambitions can be fulfilled while simultaneously buying coins almost
certain to increase sharply in value. The question is, then, how does a
buyer sort
through thousands of offerings to isolate promising key date coins
for the purpose of reselling someday at a much higher price?

Case in Point: eBay US coin auctions. For sure, rare coins of
exceptional growth potential lurk throughout the massive eBay universe,
but developing an effective strategy to search for
blue chippers requires some understanding of long term value trends for
individual collectible coins. Succinctly stated:

Coins that have been the most eagerly
pursued by the collector base for decades are the same coins that will
remain hot in the future.

The underlying cause for their popularity is
genuine scarcity, relative to other coins in a given series (e.g.
1909-S VDB Lincoln cent). “Key Dates” is numismatic jargon for these
favored coins, and because of the Supply/Demand
law, are characterized by the steepest price inclines, when charted
against their more common counterparts.

Dark red line illustrates value
increase pattern of the Key Date 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent in Good
condition, over a period of 50+ years. The blue line represents
value increase of the common date 1920 cent in Good condition over same
period of time. The graph does not depict dollar values of the
two coins; it is intended to show the dramatic effect of differing
growth rates over time. Because the 1909-S VDB has a proven track
record of performance, buyers of this coin can expect it to easily
outpace its common date contemporaries.

As each U.S. coin type is introduced and
described in this section, key dates will be listed, along with some
long term value trend data as evidence.

We believe that if collectors strive to purchase properly graded
key date coins, they will attain two lofty objectives: (1) proudly
own a numismatic legacy of high regard, and (2) realize much
higher prices down the road, should the decision someday be made to
sell.

When you acquire Key Date rare coins, you have
every reason to expect them to rise in value, higher and higher the
longer you keep them. On occasion, there may be minor, temporary
reversals, followed by a lonp period of consistent growth.

The biggest risk when you buy coins on eBay, or anywhere else, is with
the honesty of the people selling them. We have a full section on coin
buying advice to help you avoid frequent pitfalls.

Study Both Coins and History

On many occasions throughout the US Coin Values Advisor
website, numismatics is paralleled with story of America. The study of
coins is a lot more than just dates and mint marks; an appreciation of
the historical underpinnings of the nation that issued them brings a
much broader picture into perspective. Nearly every page in the
"U.S. Coin Types" section explores some historical connection.
In that light, we have a section devoted to the joint nature of coins
and US history. The image above is typical of the lessons you'll
find on US Coin Values Advisor. It is an advertisement meant for gold
seekers wanting to get to California from the US east coat by way of
boat. Following the discovery of gold, many
thousands of "49ers" headed west, soon leading to California
statehood and a branch
mint for San Francisco. Public domain image.

When it comes to buying rare, valuable coins, a good rule to follow is
to buy only coins that have been certified by a highly reputable coin
grading
service, or from a seller of unchallenged stature (preferably both).

Sadly, there are some unscrupulous operators who cheat
innocent buyers by overstating the grade
of coins they sell. This happens all too often
on eBay US coin auctions and elsewhere.

To help pull off this fraud, they align
themselves with some official sounding grading service that purposely
inflates grades. For example, a victim may end up paying an MS-65 price
for an MS-60 coin.

Two of the oldest and most reputable coin grading
companies are PCGS
and NGC.
Coin
collectors feel more secure when buying coins under the PCGS and NGC
label. Even here you have to be careful; fraudsters are aware of this
and have been known to counterfeit these labels! One of the advantages
of buying from a long established coin dealer is that they know how to
spot the fakes and protect themselves and their customers.

There is also ANACS
and ICG,
both of
which
are highly regarded. There probably are other good grading services,
but these are clearly four of the best.

It is our hope at US Coin Values Advisor that you’ll spend some quality
time perusing the many U.S. type coin pages, where you’ll discover (or
broaden your understanding of) the rich heritage of United States
coinage. We also hope you’ll take advantage of our researched
recommendations and proudly acquire key date coins of high potency.

Lately, the Rare Coin Values Index is behaving like it thinks its the Dow Jones. That would be an exaggeration of course, because the Index is not climbing at THAT meteoric pace, but it has now closed…